Independent MLA Thomas Emerson has welcomed the ACT Government’s announcement that it will undertake community consultation in coming weeks on the future of 91A Wakefield Gardens, which has been vacant for two decades and was the site of a damaging fire last month. 

A petition to the ACT Legislative Assembly was launched in June calling for the Government to consult with community members on the best use for the building and to fund a community hub on the site. The petition, sponsored by Mr Emerson, closes this Saturday and has attracted over 600 signatures. 

Mr Emerson said he had been working with interested community members and stakeholders since April, and encouraged the Government to ensure their decision-making process engaged with the work that was already under way. 

“It’s great to see the ACT Government coming to the table on the future of Wakefield Gardens. Community members have made clear they want this process to focus on the entirety of Wakefield Gardens, not just the disused building in isolation. 

“There’s a lot of community interest in this site, with a number of people willing to contribute their own time and even money to transform Wakefield Gardens into the community hub it should be for the inner north.  

“This is a perfect opportunity for the ACT Government to partner with the community and deliver a genuinely community-led vision for this important ‘third place’. 

Mr Emerson has been collating views on the site since earlier this year and, on Tuesday, published a potential three-stage plan for revitalising Wakefield Gardens on his website. Mr Emerson is hosting a community forum this Friday together with the working group that has been developing the plan. 

“Our community wants to see a whole-of-precinct approach adopted here. There’s a lot of excitement about bringing life into this untapped community asset," Mr Emerson added.

Mr Emerson encourages interested community members to come along to his forum on the future of Wakefield Gardens, which is calling for further input and volunteers to help bring the project to fruition.  

Media Enquiries: Will Devine at [email protected] or 0402 183 296. 

Background 

The building at 91A Wakefield Gardens was home to the Winnunga Aboriginal Health Service until they relocated in 2005, and operated as a maternal and child health clinic for decades before that. It is owned by the ACT Government and zoned for community use, but has now remained vacant for 20 years. 

Residents have wanted to see new life breathed into this community asset for years, and a recent fire causing extensive damage to the building has left community members asking what is next. 

Ideas that have been proposed include a sustainable living hub, a home for Aboriginal-led service delivery, space for art and creative practices, a hub for First Nations knowledge sharing and hireable spaces made available at low or no cost.  

Learn more on Mr Emerson’s website here.